


Dead On Arrival

by Drhair76



Series: Suaimhneas---(Peace, Tranquility, quiet, rest.) [10]
Category: 13 Reasons Why (TV), Thirteen Reasons Why - Jay Asher
Genre: Bryce is fucking trash, Clay Jensen is learning, Clay kinda messes up, F/M, I adore these two, I use that tag a lot, Justin Foley needs a hug, Mentions of past abuse, Protective Justin, Sheri Holland is a good bro, Sheri Holland is my queen, hurt justin, only a little tho
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-01
Updated: 2018-06-04
Packaged: 2019-05-17 00:38:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,531
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14821922
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Drhair76/pseuds/Drhair76
Summary: "What the hell?"The two sprung apart as if Justin had caught them having sex or something."J-Justin-""Hold on." Justin exclaimed, putting a hand out. "Are you two together? Like together together?""Nooo," Sheri snarked. "We're apart together."Or, Justin finds out that Sheri and Clay are together and isn't too happy.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own 13 Reasons Why or any characters associated with it.

Justin has never had a brother before. To be completely honest, he's never really had a family before. So there are some things that he just doesn't know much about. 

Family dinners, asking for help when he needs it, being able to ask for the things that he needs and not needing to get them for himself. 

But one thing he did know, was that feeling of protectiveness that shimmered in his chest whenever his mom would get a new boyfriend. Eventually Justin realized that it was a lost cause and the feeling faded. 

Being in the Jensen household had caused that feeling to reemerge. 

Apparently, Justin was so caught up in his new found family that he didn't even notice Clay and Sheri getting closer. It seemed like one day she was hanging out, doing a project with Clay and then suddenly they were cuddling on his bed. 

"What the hell?" 

The two sprung apart as if Justin had caught them having sex or something. 

"J-Justin-" 

"Hold on." Justin exclaimed, putting a hand out. "Are you two together? Like together together?" 

"Nooo," Sheri snarked. "We're apart together." 

Justin gasped offendedly and Clay rushed to calm the two down. 

"Okay, relax guys. Yes, Justin we are dating-" 

"And you didn't tell me?" 

"Like I tell you everything." Clay winced as soon as he said it and Justin flinched back. 

"Right then. I guess I'll just-" Justin gestured to the door and started to walk out when Clay protested. 

"No, Justin-you don't have to go." 

"-leave. I'll see you two later." 

"Justin!" Sheri called but Justin was already out the door. 

•••

Justin found it funny in a sort of painful way that he was back at the park where he had that date with Hannah. He didn't even mean to come here, his feet just went on autopilot and this as where he found himself. 

Justin couldn't even explain why he was so upset that Clay hadn't told him about Sheri, it's isn't like Clay told him everything. Maybe it just reminded him of Bryce? 

But Clay and Bryce were in completely different stratospheres. Comparing the two was like comparing absolute trash to an angel. 

Maybe it wasn't even Clay at all. Maybe Justin was just so fucked up that this and practically everything else reminded him of his mom. 

Justin plopped down on the bench and looked at the deserted slide. It was nighttime now, too dark for any children to be out. He pulled his knees to his chest and wrapped his arms around his legs. 

On that night he gotten into a fight with his mom's boyfriend and had to crash at Hannah's, he was trying to protect her. His mom was always a small woman, even back before Justin had to get a part time job to feed the two of them, and seeing her about to get hit by a man that was two times bigger than her spurred him into action. 

He had pushed himself in between the two of them, taking the hit meant for her, and then taking more when the boyfriend realized Justin got in his way.  

Justin couldn't do anything but lie there, but nothing Seth could've done to him would hurt him worse than seeing his mom get the same treatment. 

When Sheri sat down on the bench next to him, not speaking, just studying the slide across from her, Justin frowned. 

Before he could say anything though, she spoke up. "Clay's been worried sick about you." 

Justin's teeth clacked together, he didn't entirely know how to respond to that. The feeling of being missed was still new to him. "Oh." 

Sheri turned to him and tilted her head. "He would've come but he thinks you're mad at him. Are you?" 

Mad? At Clay?

"No." 

"Are you okay?" 

"Yeah." 

Sheri hummed. It was kind of obvious that Justin was not okay but he was grateful that she didn't call him out of his bullshit. 

"You know Clay wanted to tell you." She started after another pause of silence. "I just-I don't know, I thought it would be easier to let you assimilate before smacking you in the face with this." 

Justin laughed wryly. "Yeah, thanks for that." 

"Look, I guess I just want to say I'm sorry. And please don't be mad at Clay, he didn't mean to hurt you." Sheri apologized. Justin shifted on the bench and also turned to face the girl.

"I know he didn't mean to." Justin sighed, he looked down at Sheri's freshly painted nails. "And it shouldn't have bothered me, I don't even know why it did." 

"I might know why." Sheri offered and Justin's eyes flickered up to hers. "I-I think it maybe reminds you of Bryce. And-" she quickly continued when Justin looked like he wanted to cut her off-"maybe it's also a reminder that you and Clay aren't really brothers?" 

Justin processed that thought while Sheri went on explaining but he honestly didn't need to hear anymore. 

Maybe she was right, maybe Justin liked the fact that he had someone he could really talk to, and thought that Clay felt the same way about him. And seeing the clear fact that he didn't might have hurt him a little more than it should have. 

"Maybe." Justin summed up with a shrug. 

"Okay." Sheri replied. "Clay's freaking out but he told the Jensens that you're at Zach's. I'd get back home as soon as you can if I were you. Okay?" 

Justin nodded and Sheri stood. She started to walk away before she turned back. "You aren't-you're not mad at me, are you?" 

Justin shook his head. "No, I'm actually glad you and Clay are together. He needs to get laid." Sheri and Justin both laughed but Sheri quickly sobered when Justin continued to speak. 

"Don't you dare hurt him." 

Sheri smiled. "Wouldn't dream of it." 


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Justin gets back home and Clay is still confused but their both willing to work on it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wish Clay Jensen was my brother.

By the time that Justin got back from the park it was twelve in the morning and all the lights in the house were off.

Well, almost all.

The living room tv was on, casting a blue glow on the figure that was slumped on the couch. Justin grabbed the spare key from underneath the mat and opened the front door.

He had intended to be quiet but as soon as he shut the door behind him, Clay jerked awake.

"Justin?"

Hearing Clay's worried whisper made something tight unravel in Justin's gut.

"Yeah." He answered, stepping into the room. "It's me."

Clay jumped up from the couch and stomped to Justin. Justin, thinking that Clay was angry at him, leaned back slightly. But it seemed that Justin didn't have anything to worry about because Clay just pulled him into a hug.

Justin nearly pulled away completely, just from shock, but then he relaxed.

"Don't you ever do that again." Clay whispered and Justin dropped his head onto Clay's shoulder. "I thought you had-"

Clay didn't finish, but Justin didn't need him too. Clay thought he had run away, Clay thought that Justin had run away because of him.

"No." Justin swallowed, and wondered when he started to care so much about Clay Jensen. "I'm here."

Clay loosened his hold and slowly pulled back and Justin followed suit.

"I'm sorry-" Clay groaned. "I should've told you. And then you were upset and I made it worse and then you were gone and-"

"Clay, clay relax." Justin reached out and placed his hand on Clay's vibrating shoulders. "I know what happened, I was there."

Clay whooshed a breath and Justin let go of his shoulders. "That's right. You were. Where did you go?"

Justin toed off his shoes and sat down on the couch. Clay sat next to him and folded his hands patently.

"I went to the park."

"The park?"

"Yeah." Justin turned and looked at the tv, which was showing HGTV on mute. They both watched in silence for a while before Clay spoke.

"When you left...you were mad? I just-I don't understand what happened."

Justin winced and looked down at his socked feet. He had been dreading explaining to Clay how he felt but it the least he could do for worrying him.

Justin reluctantly explained why he felt the way he did. He talked about his mom and her string of boyfriends, he talked about Bryce's tendency to keep things from him, he talked about his fight with Seth before he stayed at Hannah. Justin talked until his eyes were fluttering and Clay stayed there listening the whole time.

When Justin was finally finished, he was exhausted. Clay stood, grabbed a blanket from Matt's armchair and wrapped it around him.

It was so different from those first couple of days that he stayed at the Jensens that Justin almost sobbed. He could remember Clay throwing blankets and clothes at his head like he was a burden, but now Clay was almost tucking him in.

"Just so you know," Clay murmured after turning the tv off completely. "I'd never intentionally keep something important from you. And Bryce can burn in hell."

Justin smiled blearily at him and nodded once, twice, before he was asleep.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so I have a lot of ideas on writing these but if anyone wanted something specific I'm down for it. 
> 
> Also, does anyone have any clue what Caleb's (tony's boyfriend) last name is? Does he even have one? How do we know that he isn't just a magical boxing gay man sent from space????
> 
> Just sayin', these are the real questions.

**Author's Note:**

> Oo, that's kinda angsty. Maybe Clay can apologize and learn from his mistakes? 
> 
> We'll see. 
> 
> In other news, I'm glad it's Friday cause I am officially done with school. Next week is all finals and then I'm done. 
> 
> Also, Happy Beginnings of Pride Month!!!!! I'm so excited, I might be going to Pride for the first time in my lifeeee.


End file.
